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We investigated the inhibitory effects of a non-acylguanidine Na+-H+ exchange (NHE) inhibitor, T-162559 ((5E,7S)-[7-(5-fluoro-2-methylphenyl)-4-methyl-7,8-dihydro-5(6H)-quinolinylideneamino] guanidine dimethanesulphonate), on NHE-1, and its cardioprotective effect against ischaemia and reperfusion injury in rats and rabbits. T-162559 inhibited human platelet NHE-1 in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 13±3 nmol l−1, making it 16 and three times more potent than cariporide IC50: 209±75 nmol l−1, P

We established a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env)-mediated membrane fusion assay and examined the small-molecule CCR5 antagonist TAK-779 and its derivatives for their inhibitory effects on HIV-1 Env-mediated membrane fusion and viral replication. The membrane fusion assay is based on HIV-1 long terminal repeat-directed β- d -galactosidase reporter gene expression in CD4- and CCR5-expressed HeLa (MAGI-CCR5) cells after cocultivation with effector 293T cells expressing HIV-1 Env. Inhibition of HIV-1 replication was also determined in MAGI-CCR5 cells infected with the corresponding cell-free HIV-1. TAK-779 effectively suppressed R5 HIV-1 (strain JR-FL) Env-mediated membrane fusion as well as viral replication. Its 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 s) for membrane fusion and viral replication were 0.87 ± 0.11 and 1.4 ± 0.1 nM, respectively. These values corresponded well to the IC 50 for 125 I-RANTES (regulated on activation, T cell expressed, and secreted) binding to CCR5 (1.4 nM). The inhibitory effects of 18 TAK-779 derivatives on membrane fusion differed from one compound to another. However, there was a close correlation among their inhibitory effects on membrane fusion, viral replication, and RANTES binding. The correlation coefficient between their IC 50 s for membrane fusion and viral replication was 0.881. Furthermore, since this assay depends on Env expressed in the effector cells, it is also applicable to the evaluation of CXCR4 antagonists. These results indicate that the HIV-1 Env-mediated membrane fusion assay is a useful tool for the evaluation of entry inhibitors.

We were interested in RCS (rabbit aorta contracting substance) and SRS-A (slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis) and their involvement in human bronchial asthma. When we started our anti-asthmatic drug research in the 1970's. We synthesized a lot of chemical compounds and eventually discovered that AA-861 inhibited the generation of SRS-A from the lung tissue of actively sensitized guinea pigs. AA-861 was found to be a potent 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. This compound reduced experimental allergic asthma in guinea pigs, but it is easily metabolized in the body. More recently, we found a novel compound, AA-2414 (seratrodast), which is not metabolized in the body. AA-2414 proved to be not a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, but a thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor antagonist. Seratrodast is the first receptor antagonist that is being developed as an anti-asthmatic drug. Seratrodast inhibits both immediate-, late asthmatic responses in guinea pigs, and also reduces airway hyperresponsiveness in dogs. The anti-asthmatic action of seratrodast in animal models indicates that the drug should be of use in the treatment of human asthmatics. In clinical studies, seratrodast showed a marked effect to improve clinical parameters in bronchial asthma. It is also reported that seratrodast is free from harmful aftereffects. Clinical trials are under way in the US.

The antihypertensive and cardiovascular properties of a new potassium channel opener, TCV-295, were studied in rats and dogs. In conscious, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), TCV-295 (0.03-1 mg/kg orally, p.o.) reduced blood pressure (BP) dose dependently with slow onset of action. The antihypertensive effects induced by TCV-295 lasted much longer than those of levcromakalim and nisoldipine, and the reflex tachycardia it evoked was less marked than that evoked by these drugs as compared at doses showing similar maximal hypotensive effects. Glibenclamide (30 mg/kg intravenously, i.v.) inhibited the TCV-295-induced BP decrease in anesthetized rats. In a 4-week chronic dosing study in SHR, TCV-295 (0.3 mg/kg/day p.o.) produced neither potentiation nor tolerance to its antihypertensive action and no rebound hypertension occurred when drug treatment was discontinued. In anesthetized normotensive dogs, TCV-295 (4.5 micrograms/kg/min i.v.) induced BP reductions accompanied by reductions in systemic vascular resistance. TCV-295 also reduced resistances of the coronary, vertebral, mesenteric, and renal vascular beds, and the most marked effect was observed in the coronary vasculature. Myocardial O2 consumption was reduced by TCV-295, possibly owing to afterload decrease. These results suggest that TCV-295 has a desirable profile for an antihypertensive agent.

We were interested in RCS (rabbit aorta contracting substance) and SRS-A (slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis) and their involvement in human bronchial asthma. When we started our anti-asthmatic drug research in the 1970's. We synthesized a lot of chemical compounds and eventually discovered that AA-861 inhibited the generation of SRS-A from the lung tissue of actively sensitized guinea pigs. AA-861 was found to be a potent 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor. This compound reduced experimental allergic asthma in guinea pigs, but it is easily metabolized in the body. More recently, we found a novel compound, AA-2414 (seratrodast), which is not metabolized in the body. AA-2414 proved to be not a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, but a thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor antagonist. Seratrodast is the first receptor antagonist that is being developed as an anti-asthmatic drug. Seratrodast inhibits both immediate-, late asthmatic responses in guinea pigs, and also reduces airway hyperresponsiveness in dogs. The anti-asthmatic action of seratrodast in animal models indicates that the drug should be of use in the treatment of human asthmatics. In clinical studies, seratrodast showed a marked effect to improve clinical parameters in bronchial asthma. It is also reported that seratrodast is free from harmful aftereffects. Clinical trials are under way in the US.

The first small-molecule CCR5 antagonist, TAK-779, could not be developed as an anti-human immunodeficiency virus type (anti-HIV-1) agent because of its poor oral bioavailability. TAK-652 is an orally bioavailable TAK-779 derivative with potent anti-HIV-1 activity. TAK-652 inhibited the binding of RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted), macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP-1α), and MIP-1β to CCR5-expressing cells at nanomolar concentrations. TAK-652 could also suppress the binding of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) to CCR2b-expressing cells. However, its inhibitory effect on ligand binding to other chemokine receptors was limited. TAK-652 was active against CCR5-using (R5) HIV-1 but totally inactive against CXCR4-using (X4) HIV-1. The compound was active against R5 HIV-1 clinical isolates containing reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitor-resistant mutations, with a mean 50% effective concentration (EC 50 ) and EC 90 of 0.061 and 0.25 nM, respectively. In addition, recombinant R5 viruses carrying different subtype (A to G) envelope proteins were equally susceptible to TAK-652. A single oral administration of TAK-652 up to 100 mg was safe and well tolerated in humans. The compound displayed favorable pharmacokinetics, and its plasma concentration was 7.2 ng/ml (9.1 nM) even 24 h after the administration of 25 mg. Thus, TAK-652 is a promising candidate as a novel entry inhibitor of HIV-1.

In order to develop orally active CCR5 antagonists, 1-propyl- or 1-isobutyl-1-benzazepine derivatives containing a sulfoxide moiety have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their biological activities. Sulfoxide compounds containing a 2-pyridyl group were first investigated, which led to discovering that the presence of a methylene group between the sulfoxide moiety and 2-pyridyl group was necessary for increased inhibitory activity in a binding assay. After further chemical modification, it was found that replacement of the pyridyl group with an imidazolyl or 1,2,4-triazolyl group enhanced activity in the binding assay and that S-sulfoxide compounds were more active than R-isomers. Particularly, compounds (S)-4r, (S)-4s, and (S)-4w exhibited highly potent CCR5 antagonistic activities (IC50=1.9, 1.7, 1.6 nM, respectively) and inhibitory effects (IC50=1.0, 2.8, 7.7 nM, respectively) in the HIV-1 envelope mediated membrane fusion assay, together with good pharmacokinetic properties in rats. In addition, we established the synthesis of (S)-4r and (S)-4w by asymmetric oxidation with titanium-(S)-(-)-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol complex.

The β-chemokine receptor CCR5 is considered to be an attractive target for inhibition of macrophage-tropic (CCR5-using or R5) HIV-1 replication because individuals having a nonfunctional receptor (a homozygous 32-bp deletion in the CCR5 coding region) are apparently normal but resistant to infection with R5 HIV-1. In this study, we found that TAK-779, a nonpeptide compound with a small molecular weight (Mr531.13), antagonized the binding of RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) to CCR5-expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells and blocked CCR5-mediated Ca2+signaling at nanomolar concentrations. The inhibition of β-chemokine receptors by TAK-779 appeared to be specific to CCR5 because the compound antagonized CCR2b to a lesser extent but did not affect CCR1, CCR3, or CCR4. Consequently, TAK-779 displayed highly potent and selective inhibition of R5 HIV-1 replication without showing any cytotoxicity to the host cells. The compound inhibited the replication of R5 HIV-1 clinical isolates as well as a laboratory strain at a concentration of 1.6–3.7 nM in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, though it was totally inactive against T-cell line-tropic (CXCR4-using or X4) HIV-1.

The search for novel K+ channel openers with a non-benzopyran skeleton, unlike cromakalim, led to the discovery of a new series of (Z)-2-(alpha-alkoxyimino)benzylpryridine derivatives. Synthesis was achieved by using a (Z)-dominant condensation reaction of benzoylpyridines with O-alkylhydroxylamines, followed by m-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA) oxidation. The compounds were tested for their vasorelaxant activity in tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) and BaCl2- and high KCl-induced contraction of rat aorta to identify potential K+ channel openers, and also for their effects on the coronary blood flow (CBF) after intracoronary injection in anesthetized dogs. A large number of the 2-(alpha-alkoxyimino)benzylpyridines strongly inhibited TEA and BaCl2-induced contraction, had no effect on 80 nM KCl-induced contraction, and increased the CBF to more than 200% of the basal flow at 10-30 micrograms/dog. In particular, (Z)-2-[5-bromo-alpha-(tert-butoxyimino)-4-fluoro-2-hydroxybenzyl]- 3- hydroxypyridine 1-oxide (7d) showed highly potent vasorelaxant activity (EC50 = 0.28 microM) comparable to that of levcromakalim (EC50 = 0.17 microM), and gave a significantly longer-lasting increase (T1/2 = 30 min) in the CBF compared to levcromakalim, nicorandil, nitroglycerin, or diltiazem (T1/2 = 5.2, 0.9, 0.4, and 2.2 min, respectively). It also exhibited a stable and long-lasting hypotensive effect (over 7 h) upon oral administration of 1 mg/kg in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).

New cephalosporins modified in the acyl part of 7-(3'-oxobutyrylamino)cephalosporins (1), which have been described in the preceding paper, were synthesized by thiolation at the 2'- or the 4'-position, or by transforming the 3'-oxo group into a 3'-imino group. The most active compound in vitro was 3-[[(1-methyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)thio]methyl]-7-(4-methylthio-3-oxobutyrylamino)ceph-3-em-4-carboxylic acid (7c), which showed superior in vitro activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria compared to the parent cephalosporin (1b) with the same 3-substituent. The ED50 value for 7c, however, was essentially equal to that of 1b in mice infected with Escherichia coli O-111.

The anti-asthmatic activity of AA-2414 [(±)-7-(3,5,6-trimethyl-1,4-benzoquinon-2-yl-7-phenylheptanoic acid)] has been studied in vivo and in vitro . Experimental allergic asthma was inhibited by orally administered AA-2414 in a dose-dependent manner. AA-2414, 0.08∼1.25 mg/kg (p.o.), inhibited the bronchoconstriction in guinea pigs induced by a prostaglandin endoperoxide analogue (U-46619), leukotriene D 4 (LTD 4 ), and platelet activitating factor (PAF) with a long duration of action. The compound did not inhibit histamine-induced bronchoconstriction. AA-2414 reduced the induction of pulmonary inflation caused by LTD 4 aerosol inhalation. AA-2414 competitively inhibited the contractile response to U-46619 in guinea pig tracheal and parenchymal strips and dog saphenous vein strips with pA2 values of 7.69, 8.29 and 6.79, respectively. Furthermore, the contractile responses of guinea pig tracheal strip to PGD 2 , 9 a , 11s-PGF 2 and PGF 2 a were inhibited with pA2 values of 7.20, 7.79 and 5.71, respectively. These results suggest that AA-2414, a quinone derivative, is a novel, potent and orally active antagonist of a variety of spasmogenic prostanoids.

New compounds 3-acetoacetoxymethyl-7β-acylaminoceph-3-em-4-carboxylic acids (4) were synthesized from deacetylcephalosporin C (3a), after N-protection of the amino-adipoyl group followed by acetoacetylation of the 3'-hydroxyl with diketene and acyl exchange at the 7-position. They underwent a facile nucleophilic displacement of the 3'-acetoacetoxy group with heterocyclic thiols to afford 7β-acylamino-3-heterocyclicthio-methylceph-3-em-4-carboxylic acids (6) including SCE-963 (6e) in good yields.

The synthesis and the in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activities of a series of 7-[2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)acetamido]cephalosporins (1) having varied 3-substituents, such as methyl, hydroxymethyl, acetoxymethyl, pyridiniomethyl and heterocyclicthiomethyls, are described. The derivatives having five membered heterocyclicthiomethyls exhibited strong inhibitory activities against Gram-negative organisms including some strains of Escherichia coli and Proteus morganii which are insensitive to cefazolin and cephaloridine. Pronounced activities were noted with 7-[2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-acetamido]-3-[[[1-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-1H-tetrazol-5-yl]thio]methyl]ceph-3-em-4-carboxylic acid (1y; SCE-963).

New compounds 3-acetoacetoxymethyl-7β-acylaminoceph-3-em-4-carboxylic acids (4) were synthesized from deacetylcephalosporin C (3a), after N-protection of the amino-adipoyl group followed by acetoacetylation of the 3'-hydroxyl with diketene and acyl exchange at the 7-position. They underwent a facile nucleophilic displacement of the 3'-acetoacetoxy group with heterocyclic thiols to afford 7β-acylamino-3-heterocyclicthio-methylceph-3-em-4-carboxylic acids (6) including SCE-963 (6e) in good yields.